On 7 May 1966, the Sea-Land freight service called at Grangemouth as part of a transatlantic route transporting primarily Scotch whisky to the US. Grangemouth was the only UK port in the rotation, making it the first in the country to handle containerised cargo. The subsequent development of containerisation transformed the way goods were transported globally.
Sea-Land launched the transatlantic container route in April 1966 with four ships, each carrying 226 containers. The weekly service called at Port Elizabeth and Baltimore in the US, then Rotterdam, Bremen and Grangemouth.
Since then, the port’s container terminal has handled more than 4.2 million containers. Today it covers 402 acres, employs 280 people and is home to 32 businesses. It manages more than £6 billion worth of goods annually, including food and drink, construction products and renewables.
To mark the anniversary, the port is planning a community open day and is working with local schools on a project to name its new harbour crane.
Regional Director for Scotland Derek Knox said the port had changed and adapted over six decades through investment in infrastructure, equipment and skills, and had grown into a major contributor to the Scottish economy.
